Professional politics
posted at 6:20 pm on January 12, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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What does this from David Freddoso at The Corner say about the state of Republican Party communications?
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE: New Directors for Landrieu’s Office and Committee
…Stephanie Allen has been promoted from press secretary to communications director for [Sen. Mary] Landrieu [D, La.]…Aaron Saunders has been hired as press secretary, succeeding Allen. Saunders was communications director to then-Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.
So it’s that easy to move from being a communications director for a Republican Senator to press secretary for a Democrat? I’m not sure that stalwarts of either party will find that exactly comforting. Mark Steyn certainly hit the nail on the head with this follow-up:
David, I’m not a conspiracy theorist or anything, but the notion that the “communications directors” for Republican Senators are all secret Democrats would explain a lot about the last few years.
It’s not that they’re “secret Democrats” as much as it is that they’re secret Bureaucrats. While some will shrug this off as nothing more than professionals adapting to a changing marketplace, I suspect that professionalism in this case means nothing good for representative democracy.
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A whore doesn’t care who she sleeps with…
right2bright on January 12, 2009 at 6:23 PM
They are not called “Hill Rats” without merit…
Branch Rickey on January 12, 2009 at 6:27 PM
Principles? We don’ need no steenkin’ principles!
quikstrike98 on January 12, 2009 at 6:27 PM
Hey, that front page pic? That is not Julia Roberts! But appropriate.
juanito on January 12, 2009 at 6:28 PM
Hey, politicians whore themselves out; why shouldn’t their underlings?
Snowed In on January 12, 2009 at 6:29 PM
Sure as heck doesn’t bode well for the Senate Repubs drawing a line in the sand.
But then, never had much hope they would anyway. “Bipartisan compromise”, meaning, we’ll surrender a little more of the free America that was to the Nanny State, in exchange for some good press and a great party at the Capitol Hill Club.
quikstrike98 on January 12, 2009 at 6:33 PM
Wow, look at those legs….
What were we talking about?
jimmy the notable on January 12, 2009 at 6:33 PM
I don’t believe there are multiple political parties. I think the entire gaggle of political worms work together to capture their piece of the federal budget in order to pacify their parasitic constituents, retain power and live the good life. I probably don’t really believe that but, then again . . .
rplat on January 12, 2009 at 6:35 PM
She looks a lot better than Julia Roberts.
perroviejo on January 12, 2009 at 6:38 PM
It makes me mad that turncoats like that can get my dream job, and I can’t.
It's Vintage, Duh on January 12, 2009 at 6:38 PM
I do.
Zero confidence in the Redumblicans any longer. The ones that hang on, mostly hang on by feeding large scraps of pork to their voters, and “going along to getting along.”
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
quikstrike98 on January 12, 2009 at 6:41 PM
Add “Affirmative Action” to “Professional Bureaucrats” and I think you can kiss our Representative Democracy good-bye…….
Seven Percent Solution on January 12, 2009 at 6:44 PM
Actually, that cover pic looks like a ladyboy in Thailand.
Just sayin’.
SWLiP on January 12, 2009 at 6:44 PM
Just goes to prove there are whores in every profession, not just the oldest one.
GarandFan on January 12, 2009 at 6:46 PM
So, uh, I won’t even ask where Ed got that frontpage picture.
amerpundit on January 12, 2009 at 6:48 PM
Harlots all, but we are the even bigger ones for not throwing them all out, from left, to right.
Entelechy on January 12, 2009 at 6:51 PM
Does this mean that Landrieu is as dirty as Stevens?
My bet is YES and likely much worse.
Kermit on January 12, 2009 at 6:55 PM
SWLiP on January 12, 2009 at 6:44 PM
After careful examination, I’m going to have to agree.
ChrisM on January 12, 2009 at 6:57 PM
Hey, don’t look at me. There wasn’t even a Redumblican on my ballot in my Congressional District. Just the DemoRat Congressman for Life, and a Libertarian candidate. I voted for the Libertarian. Fat lot of help that did.
quikstrike98 on January 12, 2009 at 6:57 PM
Mark me down in the “some will say” category, Ed. Politicians suddenly changing stripes and parties can raise eyebrows unless they’ve truly undergone a big change in philosophical views on the issues. Their workers? Communications directors, speech writers, etc. can do that job for anyone. Should somebody who is an accountant or a secretary or advertising and marketing planner for one politician be barred from every seeking work with a new employer of another party?
Yep… this is pretty much a non-story to me. Loyalty and hard work should be rewarded. The politician is the one with the agenda.
Jazz Shaw on January 12, 2009 at 7:01 PM
I don’t see the outrage here. This is the equivalent of moving a marketing job at Coke to one at Pepsi. Same job, same BS, just a different name on the paycheck.
angryed on January 12, 2009 at 7:01 PM
when will people learn it is not dems vs repit is elites vs the everyman. that was why they attacked Palin she is an everyman not an elite. There are few of the everyman in washington still but most are corruptedwithin a year.
unseen on January 12, 2009 at 7:02 PM
rplat, I am going to have to disagree with you, respectfully. You have hit the proverbial nail on the head. My apologies for disagreeing with your conclusion because your analysis was short and sweet, imao.
Branch Rickey on January 12, 2009 at 7:03 PM
This is why the only solution is less and less government.
Living next to D.C. most of my life I can confirm that 90%+ of government workers are the most coddled, entitlement-minded, lazy, pieces of sh*te on the planet (the other 10% will quit and move to the private sector because they have personal principles).
Let’s roll.
ex-Democrat on January 12, 2009 at 7:09 PM
They have no soul.
Theworldisnotenough on January 12, 2009 at 7:14 PM
FIFY, Mr. Heinlein
thirteen28 on January 12, 2009 at 7:15 PM
Yep, Politicians are whores. In one way or another.
sheebe on January 12, 2009 at 7:22 PM
Republicans and Democrats are the exact same thing, just with different names.
paulsur on January 12, 2009 at 7:29 PM
I think the real story is the cover picture. Here was Ed and why was he taking pictures of cross dressing hookers?
- The Cat
MirCat on January 12, 2009 at 7:39 PM
No offense but most of the whores in Congress are men.
mathscience41 on January 12, 2009 at 7:39 PM
Here = Where
No not here. No cross dressing here at all. Nothing to see here. Please move along.
MirCat on January 12, 2009 at 7:40 PM
Hmmm… I think you folks know too much about transvestite prostitutes.
Waaay too much.
darkpixel on January 12, 2009 at 7:43 PM
Not to mention going from the corrupt office of Ted Stevens to the office of a congresswoman in one of the most corrupt states in the union.
MadisonConservative on January 12, 2009 at 7:47 PM
Why not ask Dick Morris, who at various times worked for Bill Clinton, Jesse Helms and Trent Lott, among others.
Bigfoot on January 12, 2009 at 7:51 PM
Should somebody who is an accountant or a secretary or advertising and marketing planner for one politician be barred from every seeking work with a new employer of another party?
Or be called a whore for doing so? One thing that just became crystal clear to me about this site: people are very quick to judge.
Tom_Shipley on January 12, 2009 at 8:19 PM
And bureaucrats tend to like big government.
jgapinoy on January 12, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Yeah. But it’s usually the citizen who ends up gettin’ screwed.
soundingboard on January 12, 2009 at 9:28 PM
Is that another way of sayin’ “size matters”?
soundingboard on January 12, 2009 at 9:29 PM
Most journalism graduates can’t find good paying jobs in their fields. They have to take on political campaigns and lobbyist tasks to stay fed and living inside.
***
We all have the equivalent of “WILL WORK FOR FOOD” signs on us. Think about the super liberal James Carville (aka the “Ragin Cagin”)’s successful marriage to super conservative Mary Matalin–who carried water for the right wing. We all do what we need to stay employed– retired engineers like me did too. Most of my family was / are journalism majors–they all work (ed) in better paying fields.
***
John Bibb
rocketman on January 12, 2009 at 9:39 PM
Sez Ed,
Are there any capital-B Bureaucrats who are not also capital-D Democrats, at least in spirit if not in registration?
MrLynn on January 12, 2009 at 9:50 PM
One thing that has been crystal clear to me for quite a while, Tom, is that trolls like you are very quick to post comments characterizing the commenters at this site — as a group — rather than addressing any one of the particular points being raised.
To what do you owe this rather narcissistic sense of entitlement, if I may be so
boldquick to judge?RD on January 12, 2009 at 9:59 PM
I am curious to know how much more abuse you Republicans will take before you start voting third-party.
What’s sad is most GOPers are so party-minded, they will probably stop voting all together, rather than “change loyalties.”
TMK on January 12, 2009 at 10:09 PM
District of Columbia = Cesspool.
Zorro on January 12, 2009 at 10:09 PM
Eh…Illinois has made this a one-state race. Even New Orleans can’t compete with this piss farm.
Jaibones on January 12, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Believe it or not, per capita, IL isn’t even in the top 10 corrupt states. And Alaska is #1.
quikstrike98 on January 13, 2009 at 12:31 AM
I’ve got a great idea for a needed stimulus program.
Move Washington DC to Butte, Montana.
1) Will clear out a couple generations of bureaucrats
2) Will make the Capitol easier to defend from terrorists
3) They will be surrounded by us, with our second amendment guns.
4) Politicians will hate to go there, and stay there, so less damage to us
5) It will take billions, naybe trillions, after the example Congress just gave us of the Capitol visitor center
6) Some REAL CHANGE.
7) We can use one of the old Anaconda Copper Mine pits for some great symbolic monument (Ideas?)
Jimmy Doolittle on January 13, 2009 at 4:19 AM
TRAITORS!
No, that is NOT too harsh, they are TRAITORS. There are NO GOOD LIBERALS… “progressives” are selling America out, selling out to terrorists, closing Gitmo, undercutting our brave Military, conversing with radicals, cutting our defense… Socializing all facuts of our lives, radicalizing our schools, brainwashing our youth, corrupting the moral fabric with gay rights and vile MSM coverage of the Messiah.
I want ALL Republican leadership, top to bottom wiped clean, cleared out, kicked to the curb… Send em all packin, replaced with VOCAL, REAL CONSERVATIVES that are PROUD of America, proud of cultural values and decent morals, have faith in God, faith in the American people.
Until we do this, we will continue to lose elections…
Your choice… Traitors or Patriots!
Mark Garnett on January 13, 2009 at 7:29 AM
What does The Ad Biz have to do with this story? A communications director is not in the ad biz, they’re in the p.r. biz.
Buy Danish on January 13, 2009 at 8:35 AM
“It’s not that they’re “secret Democrats” as much as it is that they’re secret Bureaucrats”
Ed nails this one.
and Bureaucrats are Democrats, of course, because big government butters their bread. Not “good government”. That is irrelevant. “Big government”. That’s what they care about.
notagool on January 13, 2009 at 9:14 AM
the republican are now democrats and the democrats are socailists…
right4life on January 13, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Why is Ann Coulter leaning into that car? Don’t get me wrong, I love Ann.
kirkill on January 13, 2009 at 10:12 AM
A little too tall I think, more Arne than Ann.
RBMN on January 13, 2009 at 12:55 PM
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